The Renegade Quadrant
"If you want our sector you can tear it from our cold dead hands! Come here and you can stay forever. We will bury you here." The northwestern sector of the galaxy, commonly referred to as the Renegade Quadrant, is a sector of space that has long been associated with lawlessness and brutality. As interstellar states had began growing in their respective corners of the galaxy, criminals, outcasts and renegade have always lived on the fringes of these states. As these pockets began closing, individuals and groups began travelling to the last frontier of the galaxy and made it their home. As the sector have long encompassed by undesirables, law and order have never taken root. For most of the 24th century, the sector has been a hotbed for criminal and pirates who are free to roam and do as they see fit. The Golden age of Piracy During the major part of the 24th century, pirate fleets of all sizes have carved out territory for themselves and a constant onslaught has raged over these pockets. Planets of species that lack interstellar technology in the quadrant have lived under the boot of these criminals and scoundrel, having no choice but to bend to their will. In the quadrant itself, the most powerful faction has long been The Gathering of Blades, a coalition of large pirate fleets. Smaller pirate fleets have also managed to scrape together an existence, but avoiding to pick a fight with the GoB they have mostly fought against each other. The only common enemy pirates have are outside states, whom most pirates hate fiercely for their own plethora of reasons. The only "official state that has existed in the quadrant for the first half of the 24th century is the Frontier Militia, who have worked hard to distance themselves from established states and pirates alike, preferring to work as a independent middle-man. As the rest of the galaxy have endured conflicts that have been both internal and external, criminals in the Renegade quadrant have mostly been left to their own devices. However, during the late 24th century, the galaxy as a whole has stabilized to such a degree that major states outside the renegade quadrant now have both the time and the resources to "deal with the renegade problem for good." As pressure builds from the outside and pirates are put on the defensive, even small states within the quadrant itself have thrown off the yoke of oppression and began fighting back. In the first half of the 25th century, we witness the last death throes of a criminals haven, as law and order come knocking to put it into line. Pirate fleets and crews have seen the might they are facing and choose instead to turn coat and side with interstellar states and hunt their former pirate colleagues for money or promises of pardon. Some remain steadfast, aiming to die by the sword in the name of reckless freedom. The Second Age of Piracy During the mid part of the 25th Century, after many thought they would see the end of Piracy on a galactic scale, new raiders arrived. Fueled by sources of vengeance and survival, these raiders and pirates were more honorable and cunning. One of the major figures who led attacks against states was a Kercan named Gregor Howlett, a prison escapee who gathered as much manpower as he could. With states patrolling their borders and outside their range, it was much harder for pirates to travel and take what they could. Several solutions were to outfit vessels with stealth systems. Other options were to give out protections to independent colonies and establish trading routes. The biggest faction by the 50s was a coalition of pirates called the Free Alliance of the Tide. The Tide believes in the freedom of governing their own lives. These groups under one Pirate King/Queen unified sectors against states of the Crimus or Yscom. Their primary motivation is simple: To survive. With security and empires working to expand their territories, more pirates are rapidly dying, Howlett convinced several factions the harsh reality that the states have taken over and if they weren't careful, their homes and families will all be destroyed. The leaders of each group agreed and set a pact against the Tide. By 2490, the Second Age resulted in more pirates, smugglers, and even thiefs to support each other. Ships gather together in the deep pockets of space for what might be the last stand against authority. Category:Lore